Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Another birthday, another cake, but this one came out well, I was pleased with myself. Before I started I had visions of tilting turrets and crumblings crenellations (remember that word?) but the trick is bamboo skewers.

I used a regular triple-layer yellow cake recipe, ran bamboo skewers down through the layers, impaled Hostess Ho Hos lengthwise on the exposed skewer and topped each Ho Ho off with a sugar ice cream cone. It held securely even against the gale-force winds of a five year-old blowing out her candles. Holy Ho Hos Batman!

The drawbridge is a graham cracker, the doorway and flags are cut from fruit leather. There are graham cracker sticks as windows, M&Ms around the bottom, Good 'n Plenty's around the top and Dots on the upper edge.

If you're going to have a castle cake for a little girl, better make it pink.

I am SO impressed! My daughters wanted a cake like this for their birthdays, that they had seen in aphoto shot, but didn't know it was doable.Congratulations to mommy, and best birthday wishes to the birthday girl!

Very nicely done. Congrats. I've made several castle cakes myself, mostly for the twins. (Works for boys and girls too, as long as you DON'T use pink icing) I made two cakes--a bundt, and 2 loaf pans. (also this way each kid gets to choose a flavor) I cut the bundt in half and laid each in a rainbow shape, connected them with the loaf cakes, and then frosted the whole thing. If you can get choc cones for towers, that works nicely too. I used choc bars for windows since I can't get graham crackers, and either Easter grass or coloured sugar for the platter.

I love that - what a great idea. My kids are older but my sister usually has me do her kids cakes and I can definitley use this idea for her daughter's 5th birthday. So far I've done a couple of barbie cakes and a dump truck cake for my nephew.

Love the freezing tip! I'm doing a cake for my son's grad party and I need to cut the cake in order to put custard inside. Do you think freezing would help that? Last time I did it, I had to cut the top piece in half so it wouldn't break before I could put the custard in between the layers.

Where were you last year when I attempted one of these on my own? Ugh. It did not turn out as darling as yours. Will try that one next year for sure. As I'm sure the princess will no doubt beg for another castle cake. Because she is just mean that way.

OMIGOSH. YOU MADE THAT!? And, you ate it? Tell me the icing tastes like strawberries? Yum.... Or that it tastes like those really sugary icings...? mmmmm.... Salivating.... And, it's GORJ!!! Look at you! I'm WAY impressed.

That cake is wonderful! I always struggle with getting it to all stick together and I love your idea to freeze it first. Thanks so much!

On another note...I found your post and thought I’d reach out to say hello and ask if you’d like to receive a free Maya & Miguel DVD. If you’d like to receive the DVD just email me at Kerri at boldmouth.com with your address and I’ll have it shipped it out to you.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with Maya & Miguel, a show on PBS in the afternoons -- http://pbskidsgo.org/mayaandmiguel -- that emphasizes cultural diversity and language learning but I’m reaching out to talk to parents about the program as part of a marketing project I’m working on with Scholastic.

If you do choose to blog about Maya & Miguel show or episodes on the DVD, please make it clear how you received the information. Our goal is to be open and honest with everyone we reach.

Found your cake one a Google search of "castle cake"; of all the cake ideas that came up, yours struck me as the most original/doable/interesting-looking/fun! Thanks for the frozen cake and skewers ideas - I'll definitely remember them! Love the creative use of HoHos